I would like to put on record my wholesome appreciation for the delight that Parsiana is every fortnight.
The professionalism on display in every single issue on a range of topics from what seems like just a handful of writers is truly worthy of respect. As a regular reader now, I can say hand on heart that the overall package is just about perfect every single time. The sheer diversity of content, that customary editorial flair that runs right through the magazine, the willingness to engage with and accommodate contentious points of view, and those pieces that evoke good old nostalgia through the profiling of little known veterans of the community; on all counts, no praise is high enough.
While the slant is unmistakably reformist, you have thankfully spared us the mindless rabidity that characterizes both sides of the debate through your sagacious treatment of issues. I like the way you make the community connect with the larger idea of what it means to be a Zoroastrian by spreading your net far and wide in bringing us stories from across the world. The features you do on young Parsi achievers who are shining a light in their fields open up so many windows in the minds of your readers. Besides, it’s a solidly laid out magazine with a sharp eye for detail and nuance on every page; in other words, a community publication which does not make me cringe because it values wisdom, knowledge and intelligence over banalities and rhetoric.
The generously compiled Navroz issue is most definitely a case in point. The stories are astonishingly diverse with a great eye for atmosphere and detail, well-argued and well put together. When the community’s oldest publication has merged with the youngest and there seems to be a very real fear of the counterpoint going completely missing, Parsiana’s significance cannot but be overestimated.
Truly, for a magazine which needs to be ‘sponsored’ all the time to keep itself going, the quality speaks and how. I have no idea of the challenges you must face in bringing out this stellar product, but there can be no doubt about the fact that they can be anything but trifling. I also cannot imagine where you and your team get your daily motivation from, but surely you cannot do this without a liberal dose of love and integrity for both the tenets of journalism as well as the community you are out to serve.
Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for all the talent and hard work that goes in to put together a truly classy community magazine time and again.
VISTASP SAM HODIWALA
Thane
vistasphodiwala@gmail.com
The editors reply:
We are humbled.